1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to baseball and softball training equipment and, in particular, to a batting practice device that is convertible to a pitching practice device.
2. Description of Related Art
This invention relates to baseball batting practice equipment, specifically as applied to batting practice and pitching practice. While baseball batting practice equipment and baseball pitching practice equipment are well known in the art, convertible equipment or dual mode equipment is not as common and thus not as developed in the design of such equipment. The convertible equipment is the equipment that converts from a batting practice apparatus to a pitching practice apparatus and back as needed for practice.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,937 discloses a dual practice batting tee and practice strike pitching device. The batting tee includes first and second adjustable poles mounted on a base plate and extender members. The second stanchion has a support for resting a baseball. Because of the placement of the second stanchion relative to home plate, the batter contacts the ball in front of home plate when he assumes the normal batter's stance at home plate. The first pole is positioned and adjusted relative to the second pole to affect the desired swing.
The poles can be placed at selected locations on the home plate and adjusted in height so that the hitter may practice hitting the ball at locations corresponding to, for example, a high inside pitch, or a low inside pitch. The shortcoming with this arrangement, however, is that the first and second poles must be properly aligned in order to practice the proper swing.
As the practice strike pitching device, the poles are mounted in the extender so that they straddle the base. And indicators such as color bands on the pole surfaces provide the high-low range of the strike zone. The shortcoming of this prior art is the strike zone is small, narrow and difficult to utilize. For instance, the distance between the poles serving as goal posts is the same as the width of the home plate. Also, the narrow circumferential markings on the poles representing the high-low strike zone is difficult to use because the pitcher may not be able to ascertain if he pitched in the strike zone.
Often, a pitched ball having sufficient height that passes over and along a portion of one of the side edges of home plate will be considered by an umpire to be within the strike zone. What is needed is a pitching practice apparatus that allows the pitcher a strike zone slightly wider than the home plate where the pitcher can practice throwing the pitch for a strike. Also, the slightly wider than home plate zone can offer one the opportunity to practice pitching to the corners of home plate. Another aspect that is needed is multiple strike zones, such as a low, medium and a high strike zone, so that the pitcher can practice various strategies for a strike. Likewise, what is needed is a batting practice apparatus that allows a batter to practice hitting a ball from a tee approximating where the ball would be along one of the side edge of home plate. What is further needed is a combination device of a pitching and batting practice device that allows players to practice pitching and hitting along the side edges of home plate.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a practice pitching apparatus that is slighter wider than the home plate, so that the pitcher can practice pitching to the corners of home plate. Another object of the invention is to provide multiple strike zones, so that the pitcher can practice pitching to multiple strike zones. Another aspect of the invention is to provide a dual function practice apparatus, where one function is a practice tee and another function is a practice pitching strike apparatus. One other object of the present invention is to provide cost effective, safe and efficient baseball practice equipment which overcomes the limitations associated with prior batting and pitching practice equipment.